On Sunday, while his ally Bezalel Smotrich was staying away from the cabinet meeting in protest of Defense Minister Gallant’s violation of the Religious Zionism and Likud coalition agreement on controlling the civil administration in Judea and Samaria (Samaria Outpost Named after Rabbi Drukman Dismantled), National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir presented the cabinet with documentation of a series of illegal Arab buildings in Judea and Samaria that were constructed in the past month alone, demanding that they, too, be demolished just like the Or Haim outpost.
At the top of the list Ben Gvir submitted was the illegal outpost of Khan Al Ahmar. In addition, the minister presented buildings constructed last month throughout Judea and Samaria, with the consent of the same civil administration that so eagerly took down the Or Haim outpost: in Sawiya (near Rehelim), Mohamas (near Michmash), El Mu’air (between Shiloh and Kochav Hashahar), Jit (near Kedumim), and scattered illegal construction between the villages of Al-Arroub and Beit Ummar on the border of the nature preserve of Jabal al Karim. Ben Gvir insisted that the same rule be applied to these illegal settlements as was to Or Haim.
“The law is the same for everyone, and I will not accept racism against Jews on my watch,” Ben Gvir stated, adding, “Just like the Defense Minister chose to destroy the Jewish outpost, we demand the destruction of every illegal Arab construction in Judea and Samaria.”
Well, what do you know, at the subsequent meeting of the heads of the coalition parties on Sunday, an agreement was reached that any new illegal Arab construction in Area C will be removed and destroyed immediately, as close as possible to the date of its construction – and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who supported his defense minister’s demolition of the Jewish outpost last Friday, also gave his consent to this decision.
Things are different regarding Khan Al Ahmar. Despite a high court ruling that approved its demolition, Khan Al Ahmar, a blatant provocation of the Palestinian Authority against Israeli rule in Area C according to the Oslo agreements, has gained too much political clout in Europe and the US, and taking it down would cause a huge political backlash. Netanyahu is not prepared for another one of those.
On Monday, a delegation of Likud lawmakers went to inspect the situation on the ground at Khan Al Ahmar, where a well organized mob of rioters was waiting for them. MK Danny Danon responded: “I am not moved by the lawbreakers, we will arrive this morning and make sure that the place is evacuated according to the law.”
Or not.
